honor, such as she hoped to
see him follow.

For Bea, who now revelled in all the bliss of being a young lady nearly
eighteen, he exerted all his most courtly politeness and gallant
manners, and she wondered how she had ever gotten on without him
before.

To Olive, he was confidential, and finally won her to the same state.
They studied, read and discussed, disagreed and argued, but he was
always so polite, and ready to gracefully yield when a contested point
could not be settled, that Olive grew ashamed of her more abrupt manners
and hasty speech, and so the intimacy helped her in more ways than one.
He confided to her all his ambitious plans of being a great lawyer, and
his impatience at having to drop his studies for so many months. She, in
turn, confided to him her longing for artistic study, and made him
ashamed by the patience with which she had laid aside her cherished
plans, and given all her time to the work which necessity demanded. So
their friendship prospered.

To Kittie, he was invaluable, and a more devoted brother and sister
surely never lived. They boated, walked, sang, played and, in short,
were almost constantly together. He was quick to discover the girlish
longing to be graceful, refined and accomplished, and he helped her
much, both as an example of polished, polite manners, and by rehearsing
for her many of the accomplishments and graces of ladies of his
acquaintance. And many times had he said to her in their little chats:
"You have a constant example before you, Kittie, in your mother. She is
so refined, and such a true, noble woman, I would love to see you like
her."

To Kat, he was nothing, unless it was a stumbling block in the way of
her happiness. She didn't like him, and was furiously jealous of the
flourishing friendship between him and Kittie. He had not been solemn
and poky, as she had prophesied, and the fact nettled her. She never
could make him angry, though she left no way untried, and that was
exasperating. He was always catching her at a disadvantage, and what she
thought was anger at the fact, was, in truth, wounded pride. She was as
rude as she dared be, and never lost an opportunity to sharp-shoot; and
while he realized the impoliteness of a return shot, the temptation was
too great to resist; so they had some lively skirmishes, in all good
humor on his side, but in lively anger on hers.

He came out on the porch one day, and found her sitting on the steps,
with her hat